Friday, March 27, 2015

I love this picture of my grandparents from the 1920's! I'm working on a book for my dad; it's slow but sure at this point. I need to check out a few more facts before I journal this one. I believe it was taken outside of the mortuary where they were working at the time, but I need to make sure of the state before I do any writing.

This background paper is from BoBunny. The large parchment flower is from Prima, but I glitzed it up with some seed beads. The little flowers by the birdbath are from "e".

CTMH stamps include: Amour and Fabulous You. The paper strips are also from CTMH.

This was inspired by the challenge over at 123 Get Scrappy. I chose to go with the top row. I used lace from my stash, mint color background, and there are feathers on the birds. Ok, that last one was a stretch!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Ah, yes, Springtime in the Midwest where the temperatures change by 20 degrees within a few hours; rain falls, snow falls and the sun shines all in the same day! Gotta' love it!

But what is cuter than a little girl skipping along with her umbrella in the rain!

This LO was done with CTMH Cotton Candy, Whisper, Sweet Leaf and Daisy White Cardstocks. The stencils were cut from Artbooking and the stamp is CTMH Adorable Backgrounds.

The splashing rain is homemade texture paste.

The umbrella Cricut cut is from Nate's ABC's with some little petals from Art Philosophy and some pink glitter gems embellishing it. Rainy Day is from When I was a Kid.

The pink, metal flower is from the CTMH Brushed Assortment. I also put in a little strip of Silver Shimmer Trim. The little blue gems are STILL left over from the wedding! Yes, those will be around for a long time! ; )

This LO is off to the following challenges;

Heart 2 Heart: How Cute - I think that little girl in the rain is pretty cute! Cut It Up: Spring - anything but a card and use a die cut

Saturday, March 21, 2015

I went backwards in time a few years with this pic. This is one of Keith's HS Senior pics; he's a Sr at Purdue currently! I never scrapped this one and thought it was long overdue! Of course, there are pics of my daughter I haven't scrapped yet, also and she's older. Oh well, they'll stay in iPhoto 'til I'm ready! ;)

This sketch is from Scrap Our Stash. The challenge is to follow the sketch and use gold embellishments. I hope you can see the gold spray I've used in the layout and the gold brads.

This was one stenciled, sprayed, heat embossed, sewn on the machine, hole punched, frayed, inked,,,,,, you get the idea. There's a little bit of everything on this LO. The stamp sets and card stocks are from CTMH and DCWV Rustics. Denim is from an old pair of jeans. Burlap and shimmer trim are CTMH, also.

Ok, it's a really nice day outside. So, I'm out to work in the barn while the weather is cooperating!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Tis the season to go green, but I didn't have any St. Patrick's Day cards to send or any LO's to do. So, I'm going Christmas with my green!

I used lots of green in this project including Sweet Leaf, Pear and Topiary inks along with the Pear and Brushed polka dot paper from CTMH.

The die cuts are from:
Tickets: Artbooking with Yuletide Carol WOG Stamp Set
Stamp and Ornaments: Art Philosophy with Home for the Holidays SOTM
Title: Artbooking
Tree with Bow: Winter Frolic

CTMH Embellishments: Sequins from Lollydoodle and Baker's Twine.
Other Embellishments: Sparkle gems and sequins from stash.

There is also an old die cut on there and I'm not sure where it is from! I had used it on another project and saw it in my box. The color was right, so it was included along with the scrap of green behind it!

Friday, March 13, 2015

The directive has officially been handed down. I am in charge of my nephew's scrapbook(s) for his graduation. Luckily, he's still a Jr so I have lots of time; but I don't want to rush at the last minute. I'm going through old pics in my iPhoto and scrapping away! There are lots of awards pics as well has music photos to scrap! Ah, the fun has just begun...

The challenge over at Heart 2 Heart is to use your favorite sketch. I have to say, I really enjoy sketches. They are such great springboards for a project. This LO happens to be a simplified take of the LO in the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book page 21. This says it comes from pattern 15 in the Make It from Your Heart Vol 2. I don't have that book. I could borrow one from my daughter, but I was in too much of a hurry! I'm a little like Varuca from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Patience is not my strong suit when it comes to waiting to make something! ;)

Anyway, I like this sketch because you can simplify it or glam it up with lots of embellishments. Maybe I'll do the same sketch with a different twist on it. Hmmmmm......... wheels are turning! Actually, most of my LO's from sketches are variations. Not because I'm that creative, but because I'm somewhat dyslexic. My brain just can't seem to translate what is on the book/computer screen to my eyes and then to my hands! I failed mechanical drawing in MS because the elements would be there, but never in the right places! Oh well........back to the matter at hand....I have digressed!

I started with Pacifica CS and used my sanding block to sand over the Woodgrain Embossing Folder. Then I mixed up some Sky Re-inker, Create a Shade Pearl Paint, and a few drops of Rubbing Alcohol to thin down the mixture. I used a paint brush to splatter the CS. The Pearl paint gives it a metallic shine you can't see very well in the pics. I like it since the trumpet has shine!

The filmstrip is from Artiste. I backed the large photo with Black and Fundamental Glacier CS's.

Thanks for coming by. Many more LO's of my smart, talented nephew to come!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I'm back at it in my Crush Book again! I know I always talk about how much I enjoy this book, but I do! The hearts are texture paste and this book takes it like a pro. I load the pages with embellishments and such and it always stands to the challenge. You just can't say that about all art journals/books.

I was inspired by the Challenge over at Heart 2 Heart where the theme is Opposites Attract. For me, this was all about my sister and me! She was the tall, thin, pretty one. I was the short, stockier, cute one. She is strong in Science and very smart; I was more creative and excelled in music. She was popular; I was an oboe player! ;) (Really, think back to that kid who played oboe in your HS band. What? You don't even remember him/her? You do and you thought he/she was the nerdiest person you'd ever met? Yeah, that was--is me!)

Anyway, you get the idea! We are pretty much opposite of each other. However, we both love ice cream and share it quite frequently!

This page, although it's in the Wildwood book, features the Brushed papers and compliments. The flower is made from some old fabric and has a center piece from the Wander compliments. The letters are from Artbooking.

Thanks for coming by today and give your sister/brother a call! You know she/he would love some ice cream! ;)

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

There's nothing like the secrets a little girl shares with her horse! This layout, inspired by the Frosted Designs challenge, has lots of room for written secrets to be stuffed down in a pocket to look at later!

The challenge is to use recycled items and a homemade flower. My home made denim flower is made of old light-weight denim and a button. So, my flower is recycled! I also used some old torn lace in the layout.

Thanks for coming by to see my Scrappy horse Thunder and his girl!

The background paper is Prairie Chic from Bo Bunny and the other flowers are CTMH.

This is a pic of me when I was in college a few years ago......ok, maybe more than a few! My son's impending college graduation has me looking back at some old photos and I decided it was time to get this one in a layout. This pic was taken in my oboe professor's studio. I was caught off guard when a friend came by and snapped the pic while I was frantically cramming before my instructor came back with his tea. Wow, seems like another lifetime now. How does an oboe major end up where I am today..........a therapeutic horsemanship instructor? Yee gads! How life twists and turns.

Oh well, I can't complain; it's been a very interesting life thus far!

Sketchabilities provided the sketch layout. I started very closely following it and then things took a turn. Hmm..... sort of like my life! hahahah

I started with Whisper CS and streaked it with Daisy White Pigment Ink. I stamped over it with Slate ink (I don't have any Whisper ink) using the Universal Backgrounds stamp.

I turned to my Cricut for the cuts and font using Black and Daisy White CS's. I believe most of the cuts come from Quarter Note. I have a subscription with my Design Space and sometimes I don't write down which cartridges I use. I wish DS had the ability to click the cut once in the layout and display the cartridge name. That feature was in CCR, but they didn't seem to put it in DS, unless of course I've missed it. Please share if you know it does indeed exist!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

This layout is a little out of the ordinary for me, but I was in the mood to do something different. I have to admit, I made this for the challenge a couple of weeks ago and then realized I couldn't use black, so here it is for this week's challenge at Color My Heart!

I don't have Whisper ink, so I had to sub in Slate. I did use Whisper Cardstock along with Black and Daisy White.

My stamp sets include: Love Life, Love, Amour, and Big Hug. Embellishments include Silver Shimmer Trim, Sparkles Flourishes (I cut it apart to make the design) and Gems. I also used the Quatrefoil Embossing folder on my background piece of Whisper CS.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Have you ever had the perfect sketch, paper, embellishments, pictures, etc and still couldn't make a layout work? I struggled with this one for days before I came to this revelation: this is not MY story! I needed to scrap/write it from Thunder's point of view! Once I figured that out, it came together.

If you look closely at the pictures, you'll notice Thunder walking quietly behind and beside his girl. Then as they got closer to the barn, our younger horse decided to check things out and Thunder felt this was entirely unnecessary! Note those pinned back ears and Rubin moving away with crossed over legs! Kelly and Lucy are laughing because Kelly knows exactly what is going on here, but he also knows he needs to move Lucy along and get her into the barn in case Rubin doesn't yield to Thunder's warning! Thunder is very protective of this little girl and I am now inspired to do another LO from his vantage point.

I used the wonderful sketch from Stuck?! Sketches. If you've not visited that site, I highly recommend it. I have to say, I can never seem to leave the sketch alone and this one was no exception. I rotated it and flipped it! I loved the sketch the way it was, but I couldn't seem to make my pics work......like I said I struggled with this LO until I thought about how Thunder would want it! ; )

The background paper is from DCWV Rustic Stack. The blue behind that is from Core'dinations. The rest of the paper is CTMH.

Monday, March 2, 2015

These pictures have been sitting in my iPhoto for over 2 years. I decided they were way too cute to sit there any longer!

I was inspired by several challenges today! Scrap Our Stash has a fun challenge where we were challenged to use some item for each letter in the word STENCIL. Here is my breakdown:

STENCIL

Sassitude sticker, Stick on gems

Twine

Embossed paper, Epoxy Bubble

Neon Pink Gel Pen, Numbers in the date

Cat, CTMH Paper

Ink

Liquid Glass

Bitten by the Bug 2 is celebrating National Old Stuff Day. The challenge there is to use a cartridge we haven't used in a while. I have to say, the last time I used Meow was back in September; for me that's a while! I tend to use the same cartridges over and over; so, going 5 months is a long time! I also have to say I used some new cartridges in DS I had never used before: Once Upon a Princess, Recess, and Home Organizer. The balloons are from Flourishes, but I use that pretty regularly.

Pile It On challenged us to use Adhesive Elements! That's an easy one for me! I love them. I have an Epoxy Bubble, a White Pearl Gem, four Flamingo Gems and 2 stickers from the CTMH Brushed Sticker complements.

613 Avenue Create is always Anything Goes, but this week their optional twist it Dr. Seuss! I realize my kitty is not from Cat in the Hat, but it's still a cat and that is that! (That was my attempt at some Dr. Seuss poetry! hahaha)

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Think Pink is one of the challenges over at Heart 2 Heart this month! What's better than a festive pink cupcake? Yum! I missed the deadline to post it there, but I'll share here anyway!

I made this card as a birthday card, but I suppose it could go for many different occasions. I used the December SOTM and stamped the cupcakes in Crystal Blue, Honey, and Cotton Candy. I backed it with Crystal Blue CS. The pink patterned paper is from Brushed. The cupcake cut is from Art Philosophy. I stamped the frosting with the I'ts a Party set that comes with the AP Bundle. I stamped it and glittered it! Hey, what's a birthday without glitter and sparkle?

The cupcake wrapper is adhered with some 3-D tape.

I finished it out with some Sparkle Flourishes, Shimmer Trim and Flamingo Dots.